Wetlands

A wetland is a community of plants and animals that relies wholly or partly on water to survive. They are often environmentally, culturally and historically important. About 4.5 million ha, or 6% of NSW, is classified as wetland.

Healthy wetlands can make a difference in the following:

home – providing a diverse environment for young and old to enjoy

paddock – providing improved farm management and production

catchment – maintaining catchment integrity and connectivity

community – supporting healthy rural communities.

Wetlands occur on floodplains, which are the total area of land, either side of a river that is liable to become flooded. Other wetland examples are:

billabongs

lakes

back swamps

farm dams, in some circumstances.

Some wetlands get their water from rain or underground aquifers. Not all wetlands are wet all the time. Some have saltier water than others and some are deeper than others. All of these physical factors determine the type of wetland and what plants and animals live there.

Impacts of a degraded wetland

On-site changes include:

impoverished water quality

degraded soil condition

reduced grazing opportunity

reduced farm productivity.

Off-site changes include:

poor water quality

increased salinity issues

unbalanced transfer of water through the catchment.

Benefits of wetlands

remove nutrients and sediments from water

provide valuable grazing land

store greenhouse gases

protect land from severe weather

provide essential habitat to many animals including fish, birds and frogs

maintain the health of other aquatic systems

focus points for urban communities.

Threats to wetlands

There are many activities that impact upon wetland health. They include:

vegetation clearing

draining

river regulation

overgrazing by livestock

contamination from excessive pesticide and fertiliser use

the presence of pest animals and plants such as carp, pigs and willows

expansion of urban areas.

What can I do to protect wetlands?

Minimise disturbance to wetlands on your property

Erect fences to manage stock access to wet areas

Establish a buffer zone between your wetland and grazing or cropping land